Thursday will mark the start of training camp for the Cowboys and so begins the quest for more success in 2015. At the end of the Green Bay game, there was an immense sense of disappointment, but there was a feeling that this team has turned the corner. This team showed some serious true grit with a ton of adversity, yet we answered the call every week.
I remember as a kid, the 1991 Cowboys lost to the Lions in the playoffs and I cried. My Dad comforted me saying the team was improving and the next year would be the year. My Dad was correct, we won it all in 1992, and it’s all I ever wanted the Cowboys to do every year since. I love my Cowboys to death, and I feel this year will be our year, it’s a gut feeling I haven’t felt in a long time.
That being said I feel the Cowboys are going to be in the zone and kick some ass for a lack of better words. Each season we lose and gain players, so this camp will provide us with plenty of headlines I’m sure.
Let’s go over what I’m going to be looking for this camp and some what if scenarios.
–Linebackers
I’m not sure there’s another group that has so many questions going into camp. We have plenty of bodies from new additions in free agency to drafted rookies. For me, I’m interested in seeing where the Cowboys lineup Sean Lee and Anthony Hitchens, both have position flex, so what combo will Eberflus look at? And will we see Jasper Brinkley in the mix or the rookie Damien Wilson. It’ll be something to watch.
What if Sean Lee gets hurt again? If Lee can’t make it through camp, then he’s done, it’ll be time to move on. Linebacker cannot take another hit with anyone else missing time from injury or suspension.
–Running Backs
This is Jospeh Randle’s job to lose. He’s the Cowboys most complete back, he’ll juke you out of your shoes and hit the afterburners. I like that Randle has pass catching ability, something Murray had and utilized quite well. Linehan, may have a better option with Randle this year. It’ll be all about how Randle handles himself off the field, plain and simple. If he can knock it out on and off the field, we’re in good shape. I’m not discounting McFadden either, but I have to see if he can stay healthy above anything else.
What if Randle and McFadden don’t look good in camp? If neither guy looks good, then I would expect the Cowboys to make a trade for a mid-tier RB from another team. Same would apply if we take on an injury to either player.
–Left Guard
The offensive line is set, but the battle everyone will be watching is between Ronald Leary and La’el Collins. Can Collins unseat the tough veteran? I think the Cowboys love that they have some nice depth on the offensive line, so in the end we could see Collins redshirt this year, we’ll see.
What if Collins out plays Leary and looks ready to start? If Collins can unseat Leary, I would image the trade talks would re-ignite as Leary would be a coveted commodity on the trade market.
–Defensive Backs
Our newly minted 1st round pick Byron Jones will be the one I want to see. How will Jones do against the an All-pro like Dez Bryant? And where will we see Jones play most of his snaps? Outside of the rookie, we need to find out who is going to man the nickel? Will Jones be a situational nickel player? We know Scandrick is going to start outside, but in the nickel, would they move him inside and put Jones outside? Morris Claiborne has an uphill battle to start, but it’ll be interesting to see if he even participates in camp. For me the train has left on Claiborne, so anything he does or doesn’t do won’t surprise me.
What if Tyler Patmon or Corey play well enough to lock up a nickel corner, plus Scandrick and Carr are locked in at CB? The luxury the Cowboys have with Jones is his versatility, so if the Cowboys look good at the corners, the Cowboys may take a look at Jones at Safety. To me, Wilcox is in a critical point on the roster, if he has plateaued the Cowboys need to upgrade the position and Jones could get a look there.
–Wide Receivers/KR
We know Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams, and Cole Beasley are locked in, but everything else is up for grabs in my opinion. The Cowboys invested a 5th rounder on Devin Street in 2014, so he’ll need to show something in this camp – a marked improvement. I wonder if the Cowboys will carry five or six receivers. Let’s say Street looks improved and becomes the #4 WR, that would leave one or two more slots max at WR. The guys to watch are Lucky Whitehead and Deontay Greenberry, both are undrafted rookies. It could mirror 2006 when the Cowboys had Sam Hurd and Miles Austin, both undrafted and both were contributors on special teams and in the return game. Could history repeat itself for any of this year’s rookies?
What if Whitehead or Greenberry look better than Devin Street? If they look better than Street, then the Cowboys will have a hard choice to make once the cuts come up. Where Street should have the upper hand is with the playbook, which could help him separate himself with solid preseason tape. We’ve seen it every year where a player is awesome in training camp, but fizzles in the preseason. It’ll come down to who studies the best and makes the least mistakes ultimately.
–Defensive Tackle
Ah yes, the position that every mock draft wants us to draft in the first round every year. What the mock drafters don’t know is that Rod Marinelli has the guys he trusts to execute his 1-tech and 3-tech positions. The Cowboys have starter depth with Tyrone Crawford, Terrell McClain, and Nick Hayden. Where the conversation gets interesting is around the young guns like Ken Bishop, Davon Coleman, and Chris Whaley. I like the depth here, but want to see more uptick from them, I’m still high on Coleman and hope he can put in a solid camp.
What if Crawford has a solid training camp? I believe the Cowboys are weighing their options on Crawford, but if he has a crazy camp and looks even more improved, then it’ll be time to look at a possible extension before the season starts. If a new deal is not given to Crawford before the season, we’ll see another Murray situation where he played himself out of our price range. At the same time, I’m not looking to break the bank on Crawford, but at a reasonable price it’ll be great for the team moving forward and one less need next year.
–Quarterbacks
Tony Romo is the man, but the Cowboys have some pivotal decisions to make on Brandon Weeden and Dustin Vaughan. Weeden had a solid camp last year, but floundered when he had to get in some regular season game action and that’s not good if you’re a Cowboys fan. That being said, it’s make or break for Weeden. Vaughan is in the same boat, but I’m pulling for him to move ahead of Weeden, if he cannot unseat Weeden, then the Cowboys may be looking for the heir apparent for Romo in the 2016 draft.
What if Vaughan beats out Weeden? If Vaughan beats out Weeden, then it’s safe to say Weeden won’t be around after the final cuts, but the next question would be whether or not the Cowboys would have a #3 in mind. Would it be Jameill Showers or some other free agent.
–Defensive Ends
Greg Hardy is the premiere pass rusher on the team, and he’ll be available week 5 against the Cheatriots, but there’s still a chance he could be available week 3 if he appeals his suspension and wins. Either way, Hardy could be the catalyst needed to get this team over the hump. I’m not saying Hardy is the 2nd coming of Charles Haley, but his impact could mirror what Haley did for the Cowboys in 1992 and beyond. This team has plenty of young talent and DeMarcus Lawrence really came on at the end of last year ; and, with Randy Gregory in the mix, the Cowboys will have some legitimate pass rushing packages that will help get teams off the field on 3rd down. Ryan Russell is another rookie that will likely fill the role that Selvie manned, which means we’ll have pressure in waves. We know Jeremy Mincey is holding out of camp in search of a new deal, but the Cowboys have all the leverage here, and if Mincey isn’t going to participate, one of these other guys could bump him to the bench. I’m pretty sure Mincey will be back once the fines start hitting him.
What if the young defensive ends don’t get enough pressure in camp? No doubt, that would be somewhat alarming, but I feel the Cowboys like where they are at at DE this year with the players they have. After all, we have one the premiere defensive coaches in the league with Rod Marinelli, so I don’t expect any slackers to be out there on the field. However, if at the end of the day the pass rush looks a bit weak the Cowboys could look to free agency or a lower-tiered trade. We’ll see.
What camp battles are you looking forward to and what scenarios could you see playing out this year?
Here’s to a safe and great training camp for all the players! Let’s go Dallas!
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